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| The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com Situational Analysis - May 28, 2021It's Friday before the "official" kick-off to summer, Memorial Day. OK - that's not really why we have Memorial Day. Did you know that the first known instance of Memorial Day observance (once called Decoration Day) was in 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina and it was organized by recently-freed slaves less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered? In the late stages of the Civil War, the Confederate army transformed the formerly posh country club into a makeshift prison for Union captives. More than 260 Union soldiers died from disease and exposure while being held in the race track's open-air infield. Their bodies were hastily buried in a mass grave behind the grandstands. When Charleston fell and Confederate troops evacuated the badly damaged city, those freed from enslavement remained. One of the first things those emancipated men and women did was to give the fallen Union prisoners a proper burial. They exhumed the mass grave and reinterred the bodies in a new cemetery with a tall whitewashed fence inscribed with the words: "Martyrs of the Race Course." On May 1, 1865, something even more extraordinary happened. According to two reports that Blight found in The New York Tribune and The Charleston Courier, a crowd of 10,000 people, mostly freed slaves with some white missionaries, staged a parade around the race track. Three thousand Black schoolchildren carried bouquets of flowers and sang "John Brown's Body." Members of the famed 54th Massachusetts and other Black Union regiments were in attendance and performed double-time marches. Black ministers recited verses from the Bible. News You Need to Know Memorial Day also marks the beginning of the "100 deadliest days" on Utah roads. UHP has already seen a sharp uptick in traffic violations, some of them deadly. "We've seen an increase of 45 percent in speed citations of over 100-miles-an-hour," said Sergeant Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol. "We've seen a ten percent increase in DUI's, and we've seen an alarming increase, about 36 percent increase, in wrong-way fatal crashes." Be careful out there. Sadly, the Better Business Bureau has had to issue a warning to beware of scams targeting the military. Scams include high-priced military loans, veterans' benefits buyout plans, fake rental properties, misleading car sales and expensive life insurance policies. What is wrong with people?? Headed to a national park in Utah this weekend? Here's a handy guide on what you can expect. (Crowds, for one thing). Nature is healing. Costco is bringing back free food samples! Approximately 170 locations will have them next week and most the rest by the end of June. Party party! Utah Policy won't be in your inboxes on Monday - we'll be painting a bedroom and cooking S'Mores with grandkids. Have a great weekend and we'll be back bright and early on Tuesday.Calendar A Conversation with Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Nubia Pena, Director of the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs - June 2, 12:30-1:15 pm. Register here. Municipal election filing: June 1 - June 7 at 5 pm. Utah Democratic Party organizing convention: June 26, 2021 250 days of the Cox-Henderson administration: September 11, 2021Today At Utah PolicyCommentary: Grab some popcorn . . . the messy redistricting process will be fun to watchBy LaVarr Webb Political junkies who like to watch politicians squirm are in for a treat this summer and fall as the redistricting process goes forward.The political futures of a number of state legislators and members of Congress could be at stake as new boundaries are drawn for election districts. It's possible that some incumbent state legislators will end up in a district with another incumbent, forcing them to run against each other, or one will have to retire.Guest opinion: GOP should follow Sen. Romney's leadership on climate By Utah College Republicans In an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune editorial board recently, Sen. Mitt Romney shared his views on climate change and on the Baker-Shultz Carbon Dividends plan, a bipartisan climate policy proposal with strong support from conservative leaders nationally, including College Republican federation chairs, the entire governing board of Utah Young Republicans, and many of our predecessors, who voiced their support in the Tribune in 2020. As the current chapter chairs of College Republicans at Weber State University, the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, and Brigham Young University, we wish to thank Senator Romney for his remarks and his willingness to publicly discuss the issue of climate and the carbon dividends plan specifically. Guest opinion: Utah's senators are key to passing background check legislation By Mackey Smith, Krisana Finlay, Grayson Massey After over a year of our government focusing on the coronavirus pandemic, there is hope on the horizon that the worst is behind us. It will soon be time for our elected officials to switch gears to focus on other priorities and issues that American families care about. One issue, which will likely be top of mind for the Democrats in control of Congress, is expanding background checks on gun purchases. While most Americans support universal background checks, it will be incumbent upon our Republican elected officials to ensure that any bill proposed by Democrats does not go too far and infringe on our constitutional rights, and instead focuses on closing existing loopholes in gun laws that most people can agree need to be addressed. Utah HeadlinesGeneral Police union, Black Lives Matter activist look back at 2020 riots (Deseret News) 1 year after George Floyd's killing, Salt Lake mayor reflects on what's changed (Deseret News) 3 Utah Jazz fans banned indefinitely after making sexually explicit, racist remarks to family of Grizzlies guard, Ja Morant (Salt Lake Tribune, ABC4, KUTV, Fox13) Utah Co. jail has largest jail industries program nationwide, providing jobs and hope for inmates (Fox13) 'Not just a place for us to bury our loved ones': Memorial Day highlights importance of cemeteries (St. George News)Politics Mother of Capitol police officer who died says 'I couldn't stay quiet anymore' after meeting with Mitt Romney (Deseret News) Governor makes it official, signs special session bill approving ban on school face mask mandates (Deseret News)COVID Corner Utah adds 309 new COVID-19 cases, reports two new deaths (ABC4) Utah taking 'cautious' approach to financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccine (Deseret News) Among Utah's fully vaccinated population, just one has died of COVID-19 (KUTV) While state continues to see drop in COVID-19 infections, Iron County lags behind (St. George News) A Tennessee woman is arrested after driving through vaccination site yelling 'no vaccine' (The Hill) Virus variant that ravaged India found in Oregon (KATU)Drought/Wildfires Drought-induced fish die-offs expected at several Utah water bodies (Salt Lake Tribune) Southern Utah fire restrictions in place after record of human-caused fires in 2020 (ABC4) IN FOCUS Discussion: Utah's extreme drought (ABC4) Utah's drought is causing more conflicts with bears (ABC4) First-ever Colorado River water shortage is now almost certain, new projections show (CNN)Economic Development Can Silicon Slopes avoid becoming the next Silicon Valley? (Deseret News) A 'river' tunnel. More gates. Here's what's next for the $4.1 billion new Salt Lake City International Airport that opened last year. (It's years away from completion)Education Small town central Utah school finds success in high tech build it yourself competition (Fox13) Alpine School District honors graduating classes of 2021 at Rio Tinto Stadium (Daily Herald) Without digital equity, our educational gap will only grow (Deseret News) Utah is no longer last in education spending per student. But what does that really mean? (Deseret News) Proposed Utah school board rule prohibits instruction that recognizes any race as superior or inferior (Salt Lake Tribune) Why teaching critical race theory makes people uncomfortable, on this week's Utah Politics podcast: Darlene McDonald of Utah Black Roundtable shares her perspective (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah PTA votes to take no position on critical race theory in schools (KUTV) Why some conservatives see critical race theory as a threat - They struggle to define what it means but consider the theory a serious threat to the country and a setback to race relations. (Deseret News)Elections 'Utah deserves so much better' - The GOP fight is on as former Rep. Becky Edwards challenges Sen. Mike Lee (Salt Lake Tribune, KUTV, Fox13) West Haven mayoral race shaping up between incumbent and City Council challenge (Standard-Examiner)Environment Wild horses under adoption program end up in slaughter houses, says investigation (Fox13)Housing First-time homebuyers 'don't even stand a chance' as median price tops $500,000 in Salt Lake County (ABC4) The House That She Built breaks barriers, preps for Home Show debut (Daily Herald)Legal Lori Vallow Daybell found unfit to stand trial, new charges filed (Deseret News, ABC4 Utah store owner pleads guilty to wildlife trafficking after importing about 1,500 wildlife items from Indonesia. (Salt Lake Tribune) SLC officials say a partnership with the feds has resulted in nearly 100 arrests and stopped an uptick in crime (Salt Lake Tribune) Police looking for man who stole plywood from home under construction in Eagle Mountain (KUTV)Local Communities We're exploring 150 'things to do' in Utah - and we need your help (Salt Lake Tribune) Gunnison 8th-grade class wins competition with a green car that runs on a 9-volt battery (Fox13) Aggie Chocolate Factory makes USU a foodie triple threat: chocolate, ice cream and cheese. The The Aggie Chocolate Factory is the only bean-to-bar facility operated by an academic institution in the western United States (Standard Examiner) Orem grants 8 female employees Women in Leadership scholarships (Daily Herald) Zion National Park cancels shuttle ticket system, now first-come-first-serve with masks (The Spectrum)National HeadlinesGeneral Video shows a woman punching a Southwest flight attendant in the face, knocking out teeth: 'It was all bad' (Washington Post) At home, tiki bars and beer caves shielded them from life's troubles. They were killed at work. (Washington Post) California's strict gun laws no deterrent for San Jose gunman (Fox News) The colleagues killed in San Jose mass shooting were like family, official says. Here's who they were (CNN) Chilling surveillance footage shows alleged San Jose gunman moments before deadly shooting (Fox News) Disgruntled worker who killed 9 appeared to target victims (Detroit News) Majority of Americans favor vaccine verification for travel purposes: survey (The Hill)Politics Biden mocks Republicans for 'bragging' about his coronavirus stimulus plan they voted against: 'Some people have no shame' (Business Insider, Politico) Senate GOP moderates fume as McConnell prepares to block Jan. 6 commission (Politico) Senate bid to counter China thrown into chaos amid GOP objections (Politico) Marjorie Taylor Greene Says She and Matt Gaetz Are 'Taking Charge' Amid GOP 'Civil War' (Newsweek) Senate chaos: Johnson delays holiday weekend exit as votes pushed to Friday (The Hill) Timing for key vote on January 6 commission unclear after Republicans bog down Senate floor overnight (CNN) Paul Ryan slams Trump in speech about future of Republican Party (CBS) Former Speaker Paul Ryan to GOP: Dump Trump, reject '2nd-rate imitations' (AP) Paul Ryan: Voters won't be impressed by 'yes-men and flatterers (The Hill)Courts An Alabama Man Is Suing A Deputy Because He Says Tight Handcuffs Led To An Amputation (NPR)Economy Pandemic or no, CEO pay rises again. Typical package: $12.7M (AP)Elections Facebook will give to candidates again - but not Republicans who voted against certifying Biden's win (Politico, Buzzfeed) Prosecutors Investigating Whether Ukrainians Meddled in 2020 Election (New York Times)Energy Big Oil Faces A Reckoning Decades In The Making (NPR) Biden's Fossil Fuel Moves Clash With Pledges on Climate Change (New York Times)Environment Volcano erupts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (CNN)International From Protester to Prisoner: How Hong Kong Is Stifling Dissent (New York Times) Exclusive: Evictions of Palestinians could spark further conflict, Blinken warns (Axios) 'Our season': Eritrean troops kill, rape, loot in Tigray (AP) Plague of ravenous, destructive mice tormenting Australians (AP) Syria's Assad "wins" 4th term with 95% of vote, in election the West calls fraudulent (Reuters) Germany acknowledges colonial genocide in Namibia and promises development projects (Washington Post)Security Microsoft says SolarWinds hackers have struck again at the US and other countries (CNN) Russia Appears to Carry Out Hack Through System Used by U.S. Aid Agency (New York Times) Russian hackers seized email system used by State Department aid agency, human rights groups (The Hill)Policy NewsRep. Becky Edwards to challenge Lee for US Senate seatCiting her experience and success bringing people together to solve problems, Representative Becky Edwards announced today that she will challenge U.S. Senator Mike Lee in the Utah Republican primary."I became a public servant to make a positive impact on the lives of our families and the prosperity of our state," Edwards said. "I did that by building a reputation as someone willing to listen and work with anyone to solve problems. Like most Utahns, I've watched as politics have become divisive and dysfunctional. Things need to change. It's time we have a leader in Washington who will stop bickering, and just put the people of Utah first."Orrin Hatch Receives Religious Liberty's Highest Honor Tonight, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty awarded Orrin G. Hatch-the Chairman Emeritus of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation-the 2021 Canterbury Medal for his instrumental role in passing legislation in defense of religious freedom for people of all faiths. The Canterbury Medal, religious liberty's highest honor, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated courage and commitment to defending religious freedom in America and around the world.Congressman Blake Moore and Colleagues Introduce the Bipartisan Recreation Not Red-Tape Act to Enhance Americans' Ability to Access and Enjoy Public Lands Today, Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the Recreation Not Red-Tape Act to remove barriers to outdoor recreation, making it easier for Americans to enjoy public lands and boosting rural economies across the country. Pioneer Park Coalition to Host Speaker Series on Homelessness in Utah The Pioneer Park Coalition is proud to announce they will be hosting a historic speaker series in June based around "Homelessness in Utah." Headlining the weekly series will be newly appointed State Homeless Services Coordinator, Wayne Niederhauser; Salt Lake City Director of Homelessness Policy and Outreach, Andrew Johnston; The Other Side Village Outreach Director, Moe Egan; and a special guest from the national level who has not been announced yet. Growing Number of Conservatives Support Federal LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Protections This morning, Conservatives Against Discrimination Leadership Council Co-Chairs Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Trey Grayson announced the addition of four new Republican women, former U.S. Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, former Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, former New Hampshire State Representative Yvonne Dean-Bailey and political commentator Ana Navarro-Crdenas to the coalition calling for federal protections for LGBTQ Americans. Business HeadlinesPandemic or no, CEO pay rises again. Typical package: $12.7M (AP) Many women CEOs saw raises last year, but ranks remain thin (AP) US consumers boosted spending by a slight 0.5% in April (AP) Today I learned the PS5's controller can buzz along to your music on Spotify (The Verge) Meme stocks AMC, GameStop poised to end strong week on a high (Reuters) From Jersey Shore to Great Barrier Reef, businesses ask: Where's the help? (Reuters) Google Nears Settlement of Ad-Tech Antitrust Case in France (Wall Street Journal) HP and Dell Post Strong Profits, Point to Bullish Outlook for PCs, Robust demand for laptops is projected to stretch into next year despite chip shortage (Wall Street Journal)On This Day In History(From History.com) 1830 - US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears. 1961 - Appeal for Amnesty campaign launches. It later becomes Amnesty International. 1964 - The Palestine Liberation Organization is founded. 2014 - Maya Angelou diesWise Words"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." ~Maya Angelou Lighter SideLighter Side"At last night's N.B.A. playoff game between the Wizards and the 76ers, a Philly fan literally added insult to injury by dumping popcorn on D.C.'s Russell Westbrook as he was leaving with a twisted ankle. That is shocking, and that guy's an idiot - a tub of arena popcorn is like 19 bucks! That's why real Phillies fans throw used batteries - it's economical and you're recycling." - STEPHEN COLBERT Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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